NFL: Seahawks QB Russell Wilson quietly putting up numbers

Sunday

Dec 16, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Rich Garven NFL Notes

It’s been a two-man race for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year since the day the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins used the first and second overall picks in April’s draft on quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, respectively.

They’ve both obviously mounted excellent campaigns.

Luck overtook ex-Colt Peyton Manning (3,739 in 1998) for the second-most passing yards by a rookie in NFL history last week. He needs 260 today against the Houston Texans to knock Cam Newton (4,051 in 2011) out of the top spot.

More importantly, the Colts are 9-4 and contending for a playoff spot after having gone 2-14 last year.

The Colts are on the verge of becoming the fourth team ever to win at least 10 games after having two or fewer victories the previous season.

The Redskins, at 7-6, are also in contention for the playoffs thanks to the dynamic Griffin. He leads the league with a passer rating of 104.2, has thrown 18 TDs — same as Luck — against four interceptions, and ranks 20th with 748 rushing yards.

But Russell Wilson, excluded from the conversation to this point, deserves serious consideration from voters as well.

Wilson, taken in the third round with the 75th overall selection due to his undersized 6-foot frame, has the Seattle Seahawks at 8-5. They’d be the fifth seed in the NFC if the playoffs started today.

Wilson has 20 touchdown passes, which checks in fourth all-time for a rookie QB behind Manning (26 in ’98), Charlie Conerly (22 in ’48 for the Giants, in 12 games) and Newton (21 in ’11). Considering he’s thrown 12 TDs in the last six games, he stands a good chance of overtaking that trio.

Wilson is also seventh with a passer rating of 94.9 — Luck is 31st, by the way — and has rushed for 310 yards, placing him fourth among quarterbacks. His passer rating in the red zone is fifth, right behind Tom Brady.

“I think I always expect greatness and always expect an opportunity,” Wilson told the Seattle media Thursday. “That’s all I ever wanted and once I got my opportunity, just go as far as I can with it. Take it one day at a time and continue to grow and continue to have the desire to do great things.

“I think the biggest thing is to keep pushing myself and go for those challenges and go for those goals.”

But, as was the case at the draft because of small stature, Wilson is likely to get overlooked in Rookie of the Year voting. Where he publicly ranks among his first-year peers is of little concern.

“It’s a great quarterback class and I think it will be great as time goes on,” Wilson said. “But I don’t worry about what other people are doing or other people are thinking or saying. I never have and never will. You have to focus on what you can control and how you play the game and how you approach the game and your teammates and being a leader.

“I think the great quarterbacks have great leadership, great attention to detail and are great competitors. I try to bring that every time I step on the field. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Nate Solder played all 19 games as a rookie last season, making 13 starts at right tackle in place of the injured Sebastian Vollmer.

With the retirement of Matt Light, who protected Brady’s blind side for the better part of 11 seasons, Solder was shifted to the left side.

The 6-foot-8, 320-pound sophomore hasn’t missed a game or a beat with the move, which is more difficult than you might think. That’s earned him the endorsement of the player he replaced.

“I think how he handled last season and being able to, look it’s not easy playing both sides,” Light, now an ESPN analyst, said last week. “I tried it. Bill (Belichick) did it with me and it didn’t work. He’s extremely athletic and I think this season you’ve seen a lot of (eyes opened).

“Maybe early on nobody knew, but all the rest of the people in this organization understand he comes to work every day. He’s got a great attitude, he’s extremely gifted and he’s done a heck of a job out there.”

Solder, who joins center Ryan Connolly as the only linemen to start every game for the Patriots, will be challenged this week when he goes up against San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, who leads the league with 19.5 sacks. Nothing new there.

Solder has also dealt with the likes of the Texans’ J.J. Watt (16.5), the Broncos’ Von Miller (16), the Dolphins’ Cameron Wake (14), the Rams’ Robert Quinn (9.5) and Chris Long (7.5), and the Colts’ Robert Mathis (7) to name a few. And he’s stood tall against them all.

Some quick hits and (hopefully) useful numbers with regard to this week’s games: The Giants defeated the Falcons, 24-2, in New York in the playoffs last year. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is 32-4 (.889) all-time at home. That’s the best record for a quarterback in the Super Bowl era. … The Ravens are 15-1 (.938) in their last 16 home games. … The Packers have won four straight and six of the past seven meetings against the Bears, by 6, 7, 7, 7, 10 and 14 points. They’ve also won 11 straight NFC North games. … The Browns have won four of their past five home games, topping the Bengals, Chargers, Steelers and Chiefs. … The Texans have won nine of 11 against AFC South opponents. … The point total in the last 20 games between the Saints and Buccaneers has reached only 50 once. … The Seahawks rank fourth in the league in rushing. The Bills are 28th in run defense. … The Panthers are 4-9 with seven of their losses by six points or less. The Chargers are 19-4 (.826) under coach Norv Turner in December. … In their last 15 home games, the Cowboys are 2-13 (.133) against the spread. … The Chiefs have won eight of the last nine games against the Raiders in Oakland. … The Jets are seeking their third straight win, which would get them to .500. The Titans have lost five of six.

•There’s been a lot of chatter out of the NFC about the championship merits of the 49ers, Falcons and Giants. Meanwhile, the Packers — a preseason favorite by many to win the Super Bowl — have quietly won seven of eight to move to 9-4.

•Pretty confident the Patriots would beat a team made up of the best players from the Bills, Dolphins and Jets. That’s how mediocre the rest of the AFC East is, particularly at quarterback.

•As much as I wish it were true, those obits about the demise of the Los Angeles Lakers are premature. You watch what a healthy Steve Nash brings to that team.

•Kevin Youkilis sold his soul for $12 million. Most of us would. As an added bonus, the pinstripes should make him look slimmer.

Material used in this report was collected from personal interviews, wire services, websites, and league and team sources. Contact Rich Garven at rich.garven@verizon.net or rgarven@telegram.com.